Little is known today of the life of Gottfried von Strassburg. He is identified in the Manesse manuscript as “meister,” which indicates his high level of education which he probably received in Strassburg. We only know for sure that he wrote the monumental Tristan romance [see entry], and also believe that he composed some courtly love poems. In the prologue to Tristan, he integrated the acrostic of his patron, Dieterich, perhaps a wealthy and educated Strassburg citizen. Diverse poets such as Rudolf von Ems (ca. 1240), Konrad von Würzburg (ca. 1270), Konrad von Stoffeln (late 13th century), Heinrich von Freiberg (ca. 1300), and Johann von

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First published 20 May 2003

Citation: Classen, Albrecht. "Gottfried Von Strassburg". The Literary Encyclopedia. 20 May 2003.
[http://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=5392, accessed 9 February 2010.]